Let’s consider this a part two of my original article, heck it’s meant to pick up where the other leaves off so why not right?
Once again, being that it seems something many may have skimmed over or flat our missed – I do not, nor have I ever hated the original DAWN OF THE DEAD. Not even ever so slightly. My original piece was intended to point out the fact that a film that is held in such high regard amongst the community does things films that aren’t and are largely criticized for. Whereas those films are mostly condemned, DAWN gets a pass, and yes that is including films that mostly follow the same things that DAWN does right.
But that’s neither here nor there at this point.
No folks, since I felt the need to post why I felt DAWN isn’t the greatest zombie film ever made – it only seems fair to conclude as to why I feel the superior film DAY OF THE DEAD is.
So let’s get to it.
The film opens on an empty room with a single woman sitting on the floor, her head slouched with her arms over her knees – she stirs and walks to a calendar with dates marked off on the wall. With some affinity, she gently touches the calendar and is horrified when a barrage of arms burst from the concrete walls. Awakened from her nightmare, the young woman looks below and sees a desolate city – a city now inhabited by the dead.
All right so you folks don’t need a play by play on how this film goes, if you’re reading this chances are you’re quite familiar with it – so there’s no need there. My inclusion of the opening scene is to merely point out the pre-cursor for the horrors this film offers – a nightmare that never ends, one from which our heroin Sarah cannot awake. Perhaps the eager scientist had a once peaceful life which is now shrouded by death and despair, now even her dreams aren’t safe.
The film is undoubtedly the darkest of the original three zombie films, and this caused it to be the most dismissed as I’m sure folks were expecting something along the light hearted lines of DAWN. The film offers a bleak backdrop of an underground cavern in a hopeless situation against the ever growing zombie hordes that have taken over the world. We are knee deep in the apocalypse – and it’s not a pretty picture.
The cast features several likeable, as well as some very unlikable, assortment of characters. The heroes are the heroes and the villains are painted to be as such. There’s no splitting hairs here, you like the characters you’re supposed to like – and hate the ones you’re supposed to hate.
This is also the first in Romero’s films to attempt to do something new with the undead by featuring the lead zombie Bub who shares as much personality as a majority of the cast does. The character solidifies himself as being one of the most recognizable and iconic zombies of all time, milking each scene with his charisma. Really, he’s a zombie that you end up loving, and considering his meals consist of what may or may not have been dear ol’ Grandma – that says a lot.
There is also the inclusion of a strong female lead with Sarah, a character that showcases more balls than a majority of the male leads she’s surrounded by. She’s very much the voice of reason for a majority of the cast – and handles a majority of what’s thrown at her with little to no fuss. Of course she has a breaking point and brings about one of the most human moments in the film when she finally sobs, the world comes crashing down.
The remaining cast members all showcase memorable performances with the drunken antics of McDermott, to the wild experiments of Dr. Logan a.k.a Frankenstein. The soldiers are led by the foul mouthed Rhodes who’s new position of power is causing waves for the group that will surely spiral out of control and lead to their downfall. Even background soldiers who barely have screen time manage to make an impact when one is bitten by a zombie begging his compadre to end his life before becoming one of the undead. The film showcases the desperation that anyone in this situation would surely exhibit – a world overrun by the dead, being forced to be somewhere you don’t want to be, surrounded by people you don’t particularly care for – it brings about a horrifying scenario that never seems to let up.
Of course, there are the zombies which have been masterfully crafted by Tom Savini in what, in this guy’s opinion, are the guy’s best effects work to date. This is his masterpiece, not a single effect in this film comes off as dated or crude – they are brilliantly executed and still provide shocks to this day.
These are not the mundane zombies that run rampant in DAWN; these suckers are vicious and hungry – they are truly a force to be reckoned with. They also substitute as the anti-heroes in the film, taking care of business after the ruthless soldiers begin an assault against the otherwise peaceful scientists. In one masterful scene, Bub is chasing the despicable Captain Rhodes down a seemingly never ending series of hallways while he screams out in agony. The scene concludes to one of the most satisfying moments in horror history when the Captain is dispatched by a few of Bub’s cohorts and in a yet another brilliant moment – is saluted by Bub as he walks off into the sunset.
This film does what I feel like DAWN should have done; it doesn’t just continue a story, it builds upon the concept and ideas. It doesn’t simply retread the same ground.
We are treated to a film that manages to make you feel emotionally exhausted by the time the credits roll. It’s dark, it’s bleak, depressing, it’s everything a horror film should be. You question humanity, if it’s something worth saving or if it’s time the zombies win leaving the shreds that are left to dissolve into obscurity. This and more showcases why this film truly works. Unlike the mall backdrop from DAWN that will become obsolete, the underground caves and desperate situation will always ring true as being something relevant as it has no time frame. There’s nothing here to look at and go “Well, you needed to be there to get this” – this is the end of days, something any audience will understand no matter how old.
DAY OF THE DEAD is a masterpiece, a film that manages to only get better as it gets older; a film once universally despised is now finding its audience and rightfully so. This folks is the ultimate zombie film. A genre piece skillfully blended with action, drama, horror and enough gory effects to send any die hard for the barf bag. Move over DAWN OF THE DEAD…and get ready to Choke On ‘Em!
